Corrosion resistant roll &amp; bearing assembly

ABSTRACT

A corrosion resistant roll and bearing assembly are provided for use in equipment subject to contact with corrosive liquids and gases. The bearing assembly is of the roller type and is fabricated from stainless steel components in a self-centering configuration. The roll ends are mounted to brackets providing position adjustment means to permit alignment of the roll with respect to other rolls or the like.

United States Patent [191 Holm Mar. 12, 1974 5 CORROSION RESISTANT ROLL& 2,785,021 3 1957 Whittum 308/58 BEARING ASSEMBLY 2,320,295 5/1943Patterson r 2,630,330 3/1953 Long 308/59 William J. Holm, Springfield,Vt.

Riggs & Lombard, lnc., Lowell, Mass.

Filedz Dec. 3, 19.71 Appl. No.: 204,551

Inventor:

Assignee:

US. Cl. 308/59 Int. Cl. F16c 35/06 Field of Search 308/72, 20, 58, 59;

A References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS [57] t ABSTRACT I A corrosionresistant roll and bearing assembly are provided for use in equipmentsubject to contact with corrosive liquids and gases. The bearingassembly is of the roller type and is fabricated from stainless steelcomponentsin a self-centering configuration. The roll ends are mountedto brackets providing position adjustment means to permit alignment ofthe roll with respect to other rolls or the like.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of theInvention This invention relates generally to bearings and rollassemblies and more particularly is directed towards a bearing and rollassembly for use in a corrosive environment.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the production of textiles and othermaterials, it is often necessary to pass the material through acorrosive medium. For example, many fabrics are scoured during somestage of their production to remove foreign matter present in the cloth.This scouring process is normally carried out within a tank or otherenclosure provided with a number of transverse rollers which serve tosupport and guide the fabric through the scouring operation. Thescouring medium normally is highly corrosive and conventional rolls andbearings quickly deteriorate and require frequent replacement.Heretofore, the practice has been to use sleeve-type bearings als resistdamage due to the corrosive atmosphere, they result in high frictionalresistance and are difficult to lubricate effectivelywhereby the bearingmay fail from overheating or rapid wear. While the use of externalhearings to support the rolls eliminates many of the problems, thetechnique requires the use of expensive seals or stuffing glands wherethe journals extend through the walls'of the vessel. These seals andglands require rather frequent service to prevent leakage.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide alow-friction, roller-type bearing that maybe used in a corrosiveatmosphere without adverse efiect on the life or operationalcharacteristics of the bearing. Another object of this invention is toprovide a selfcentering corrosion resistant roll and bearing assemblyfor use in a corrosive atmosphere and adapted to be quickly and easilyaligned;

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention features a roll and bearingassembly for use particularly in a corrosive environment comprising aroll body of corrosion resistant material such as stainless steel and abearing assembly of stainless steel parts rotatably supporting oppositeends of the roll axle. The bearings include a plurality of evenly spacedstainless steel rollers, cooperating inner and outer stainless steelraces supporting said rollers, a stainless steel annular cage mounted toeither side of said races and engaging the ends of said rollers, anannular stainless steel support engaging the outer race, said outer racebeing formed with a convex surface to provide a self-centering supportfor said bearing assembly. The bearing provides three rotating surfacesfor low'friction support. Guide ways are provided for the the roll withrespect to other rolls or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a detailed sectional view inside elevation of a roll and bearing assembly made according to theinvention,

FIG. 2 is a view in end elevation thereof, and,

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective, partially cut away, showing a roll andbearing assembly in a typical installation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to thedrawings, the reference character 10 generally indicates a roll carriedby an axle 12 having reduced end portions 14 supported by a rollerbearing assembly 16. The roll body 10 is of a corrosive resistantmaterial, preferably stainless steel, and may be an idler roller or adriven roll in which case a sprocket gear 18 is keyed to the axle 12 toreceive a chain drive from a suitable power drive.

The bearing assembly 16 is comprised of an annular inner race 20 pressfitted over, the reduced ends 14 of the axle 12, the inner race beingfabricated from stainless steel, preferably 304 stainless steel, withthe outer surface of the inner race being hardened. Coaxial with theinner race and spaced therefrom is ,an outer race 22, also of stainlesssteel and formed with an inwardly extending outer skirt or flange 24 forcontaining a plurality of hardened stainless steel rollers 26 disposedbetween the inner and outer races. Each roller 26 is relatively looselyfitted to a pin 28 of stainless steel, the pin being formed with reducedend portions 30 and 32 engaging annular cage plates 34 and 36. The cageplates are fabricated frfom stainlesssteel and are in the form of flatannular washers with a plurality of evenly spaced holes 38 to. receivethe reduced ends of the pins 28. An

annular washer 40 is mounted on the axle 12 and is fitted snugly againstthe innermost cage plate 34 to main tain the rollers and pins inposition between the races. The washer 40 in the preferred embodiment ismade out of a corrosive-resistant plastic material such as nylon orteflon and is held in position either by the sprocket gear 18 or by acollar mounted in place of the sprocket gear.

The outer surface of the outer race 22 is somewhat barrel-shaped orconvex as best shown in FIG. 1 and engages the inner cylindrical surfaceof a housing member 42 concentric with the bearing assembly. The housingmember is comprised of an annulus 44 fixed to a tangential plate 46 asby welding or the like. With the exception of the washer 40 the entirebearing assembly is fabricatedof stainless steel parts and thereforewill not deteriorate in a corrosive environment whether in the form of agas or liquid.

The bearing involves three rolling surfaces namely, the rollers 26 whichrotate between the inner and outer races, the inner race which rotateswith the axle l4 and the end cages which rotate with the pins 28 asthe-rollers move about within the clearance between races.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 3 of the drawings, there isillustrated a mounting arrangement for the .roll and bearing assembly topermit the adjustment and alignment of the roll. The adjustmentmechanism includes a pair of brackets 48 mounted to opposite walls of atank 50 or other vessel at either end of the roll 10. The brackets aremounted on the inside walls of the tank and each is comprised ofparallel upper and lower rails 52 and 54 formed of angle stock anddefining a guideway for bearing assemblies 16. Each of the rails 52 isformed with a longitudinal rib 56 and 58 facing opposite one another toslidably engage the notched ends of a pair of plates 60 and 62 fastenedto either side of the bearing assembly 16. The rearmost plate 62drivingly engages an adjustment screw 64 threaded to an end plate 66fixed to the rails 52 and 54 perpendicularly thereto. It will beunderstood that rotation of the adjustment screw one way or another willmove the plates 60 and 62, together with the bearing, back and forthalong the guideway formed by the rails. In this fashion, the roll may bealigned with other rolls or the like and, once the alignment has beenset, a lock nut 68 is tightened up along the screw 64 against the wall66. The bracket assembly 48 is fabricated from stainless steelcomponents to provide the same corrosion resistant characteristics ofthe bearing assembly 16.

The roll and bearing assembly together With the adjustment mechanism ismounted wholly within the tank 50 so that there is no need of stuffingglands or the like and, in view of the stainless steel construction, thebearings and associated parts will not be adversely affected by anycorrosive fluids within the tank. The roller bearing configurationprovides a low friction rolling support for the roll and theconfiguration of the outer race provides a self-centering feature.

ened working surfaces and rotatably engaging each of said end portions,

c. each of said bearing assemblies including concentric stainless steelinner and outer races,

d. a plurality of evenly spaced tubular stainless steel rollers disposedbetween said races,

e. a stainless steel pin extending coaxially through each of saidrollers,

f. an annular cage plate of stainless steel at each end of said assemblyand formed with spaced apertures to receive the ends of said pins g.said outer race being formed with an outwardly facing convex peripheryand an inwardly extending annular flange, dimensioned to engage theoutermost of said plates and the outer ends of said pins,

h. a housing supporting said assembly,

i. said housing including a concentric stainless steel annulus formedwith a cylindrical inner surface engaging the convex periphery of saidouter race,

j. a corrosion resistant plastic annulus mounted over said end portionsand engaging the innermost of said end plates, and,

k. a vessel having opposing upright walls,

I. a pair of stainless steel adjustment brackets mounted to opposinginner faces of said walls and supporting each of said bearingassemblies,

m. each of said brackets including a pair of spaced parallel membersmounted to said wall perpendicular to the axis of said roll and defininga guideway,

n. said housing slidably mounted in said guideway,

and,

o. screw means mounted to said bracket parallel to said guideway anddrivingly engaging said housing for movement along said guideway.

1. Apparatus for use in a corrosive environment, comprising incombination a. a roll body of corrosion resistant material and formedwith end portions, b. a bearing assembly fabricated with surfacehardened working surfaces and rotatably engaging each of said endportions, c. each of said bearing assemblies including concentricstainless steel inner and outer races, d. a plurality of evenly spacedtubular stainless steel rollers disposed between said races, e. astainless steel pin extending coaxially through each of said rollers, f.an annular cage plate of stainless steel at each end of said assemblyand formed with spaced apertures to receive the ends of said pins g.said outer race being formed with an outwardly facing convex peripheryand an inwardly extending annular flange, dimensioned to engage theoutermost of said plates and the outer ends of said pins, h. a housingsupporting said assembly, i. said housing including a concentricstainless steel annulus formed with a cylindrical inner surface engagingthe convex periphery of said outer race, j. a corrosion resistantplastic annulus mounted over said end portions and engaging theinnermost of said end plates, and, k. a vessel having opposing uprightwalls, l. a pair of stainless steel adjustment brackets mounted toopposing inner faces of said walls and supporting each of said bearingassemblies, m. each of said brackets including a pair of spaced parallelmembers mounted to said wall perpendicular to the axis of said roll anddefining a guideway, n. said housing slidably mounted in said guideway,and, o. screw means mounted to said bracket parallel to said guidewayand drivingly engaging said housing for movement along said guideway.